High-Protein Cream Cheese Stuffed Brookie Bars
These high-protein cream cheese stuffed brookie bars are thick, fudgy, chewy, and stacked with layers that hit every chocolate craving at once.
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We went camping with a group of friends last month and, naturally, I volunteered to handle the food. A couple of our friends are gluten-free, and my girlfriend runs on chocolate and chaos, so dessert needed to check a lot of boxes.
On prep day, I was juggling client work but still managed to knock out ribs, yogurt parfaits, and cottage cheese pizzas. Then it hit me. Dessert. She’s a huge s’mores fan, but I wanted something more substantial. Something we could all eat. I asked her the big question. Cookie or brownie. She couldn’t decide. Both, she said. Of course.
I was low on time and working with what I had on hand. A banana. Almond flour. Cream cheese. Chocolate chips. I decided to wing it. A rich brownie base, a whipped protein cream cheese center, and a scoopable cookie dough layered on top. She kept wandering into the kitchen for taste tests while I layered everything together.
The result was thick, stacked brookie bars with the perfect balance of fudgy, creamy, and chewy. They disappeared fast around the fire and earned a permanent spot in the rotation the second we got home.
Why these cream cheese stuffed brookie bars work
Almond flour keeps everything gluten free but still sturdy. No dry bars, no weird crumble, just a soft, rich bite that actually holds together.
That cream cheese layer is doing a lot of work. It breaks up the brownie and cookie so the bars feel indulgent, not heavy or one note.
Keeping the brownie and cookie batters separate is key. You get distinct layers and textures instead of one blended blob, which makes every bite more interesting.
And yes, you really do need to let them cool. That’s how you get those clean slices and obvious layers instead of a spoon situation. Still good either way, but trust me on this one.
"Brownies + Cookies = Heaven"
These are gooey and decad
High-Protein Cream Cheese Stuffed Brookie Bars
Equipment
- 8 by 8 inch square baking pan
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
Brownie batter
- 1 ripe banana mashed
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Protein cream cheese filling
- ¾ cup cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup to taste
Cookie batter
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 by 8 inch pan with parchment paper.
- Make the brownie batter. In a bowl, mash the banana. Whisk in the eggs, Greek yogurt, and maple syrup. Stir in cocoa powder, almond flour, and baking powder until smooth.
- Make the protein cream cheese filling. Beat the cream cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth. Add the protein powder and maple syrup and whip until light and creamy.
- Make the cookie batter. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and maple syrup. Fold in almond flour, baking powder, vanilla, and chocolate chips. The batter should be thick and scoopable.
- Assemble the bars. Drop alternating spoonfuls of brownie and cookie batter into the pan and gently spread to create a marbled base layer.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the base layer.
- Drop spoonfuls of the remaining brownie and cookie batter on top and gently spread into an even layer.
- Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs but no raw batter.
- Cool completely before slicing for clean layers and the best texture.
Notes
- These slice best once fully cooled. If you rush it, the layers will smear and you’ll miss the drama.
- You can chill the bars before slicing if you want ultra-clean edges.
- These keep well in the fridge and are even better the next day once the layers fully settle.
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